Chapter 33: Family First
A/N: ****PLEASE READ****. I realized that some text got cut out of the document for chapter 32, right at the end, so I've added it back in. Just give it a re-read.
Also, all retcons done, updates uploaded as of Aug 14 2020! Follow, favorite, review, whatever catches your fancy. Poll on my profile. Enjoy. Alfa19
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March 23rd, 2016…
Lilycove's harbor was buzzing with life when we had pulled into port, leading the H.S. Lucille home. The majority of the journey had been smooth aside from some particularly choppy waters a week out from Hoenn, but what could you do about that. Once we had the ship secured in the port, I quickly ducked back into my room to put away my kit bag for the last trip back to Johto in two weeks, donning my own clothes in the process.
With my pack on my back, I made my way off the ship, presenting my ID to the customs official at the docks before making my way out into the city. My eyes drifted to the lighthouse in the distance where I had gone with Blake when I had departed for Johto.
"Speaking of which…" I murmured to myself as my phone started buzzing as if on cue. Pulling it out, I picked up and put the phone to my ear. "Hey Blake, I just got to Lilycove."
"Great, how long will it take you to get to Mossdeep." Her voice came over the phone.
"I'm not a hundred percent sure. I was going to head to Petalburg City and catch up with Brendan and his family for a bit." I bit my tongue lightly at the silence coming down the line from Mossdeep.
"Oh. Alright. Well come here quickly then." I pinched the bridge of my nose with my free hand and closed my eyes a moment.
"Yeah, of course. I can't wait to see you. I've missed you." I smiled softly and looked out east to where Mossdeep would be in the distance.
"Yeah." She stopped again for a moment, only the sounds of Clara and whatever wedding prep chaos was going on audible in the background. "It's been a while."
"I'm going to fly out so that I can get there quickly and then get to you as fast as I can. Alright?"
"Alright. I'll talk to you at night." Her voice had picked up a bit more with my last statement, leaving me free once she cut the call.
Sighing, I released Knight and gave him a quick hug before climbing into the saddle on his back. I had deliberately put my flight suit on, ready to depart for Petalburg. It was around ten in the morning, and if we flew fast, we could make it there by three and get a late lunch.
"Alright Knight, let's do this. You'll get some exercise this trip since we're not walking." The orange dragon crooned excitedly and huffed, sending some stray sand into the air before he took off, dragging me into the sky at an incredible speed. Visor and breathing mask on, I guided Knight until we were flying roughly southwest, aiming for the direction I knew Petalburg city to be in.
Hoenn passed beneath us in, all of its natural beauty slightly blurred as we passed the hours in flight with Knight weaving intricate loops and chasing stray avian Pokemon along the way, only to catch up to them at rocket like speeds and wave happily before going on.
We had left Mount Pyre in the distance some time ago, but I couldn't help looking back and wondering what secrets really lay shrouded in the mist at the peak of the graveyard mountain, obscured by the wisdom of the guardians of the mountain. Shaking my head clear I looked down to see the repaired cycling road to Mauville far below, its occupants mere specks from our altitude.
I guided Knight to slow down with my legs as we crossed the lake connecting the route from Slateport to the route north of Oldale Town, following the routes at a low altitude until we eventually reached sunny Petalburg City. I hadn't been sure it was possible for the city to be brighter given Hoenn never really got cold, but so many more flowers seemed to be in bloom time around.
Bursts of every color decorated the flower beds all around the city, and spots of blue and yellow were visible in the foliage of the trees by the two small lakes in the town. Setting down, I returned Knight and released Rina.
"Hey there girl. How are you doing?" I reached down and scratched her head, holding my hand out for a high one. She had learned that one from some of the crew members on the H.S. Katherine.
"Priiii." Togepi trilled happily and I made sure she was by my side as I walked with her for a bit, picking her up soon and carrying her the rest of the way until I reached the doors of Norman's gym. The walls were plain, but the slightly warmer shade of white combined with the brown roof made for a welcoming image, compared to some of the gyms I'd seen.
'Especially compared to Clair's gym.' I grinned and pulled open one of the glass doors, stepping through into the main room.
The room looked the same as last time. The teak paneled walls stood out against the dark navy mats covering the battlefield. Two people sat behind a countertop desk to the right side of the entrance. The first was the receptionist himself, brown hair slicked back and bright green blazer ironed to perfection. The other was a skinny teenager almost my height with dark hair mostly covered by a white cap.
"Hey you found a chair!" I called out in greeting, spreading my arms as Brendan looked up from his phone, a grin breaking out on his face.
"Ethan!" He got up and hurried over, grabbing me in a hug for a moment before letting go and giving me a high five. Looking back over his shoulder as I waved to the receptionist, he gestured towards his seat. "Yeah, I just brought a deck chair from home."
"Was your dad annoyed?" I laughed.
"No, he just kind of sighed and rubbed his temples before giving up." He looked at Rina and his eyebrows shot up. "Who's this? You didn't know her last time you were here."
"This is Rina. A friend gave her to me as an egg a while back, around when I was in Mahogany Town." I brushed over some of the details as I tickled Rina. "Rina, this is Brendan. He's my oldest friend."
"Priiii!"
"The mats should be fine for her to fall on if you want to let her play for a bit." Brendan gestured towards the battlefield and I nodded, carefully setting her down.
"So, what have you been up to around here?" I asked, walking over to the desk as Brendan reclaimed his chair and pulled another folded-up deck chair from under it.
Gladly accepting it the chair from him, I set mine up a bit further from the desk as he dragged his own one over, leaving Winslow the receptionist free to take care of his work.
"Oh, you know, some research work with Professor Birch. He connected me to Professor Oak out in Kanto and I sent over my data to add to his Pokedex." Brendan smirked as he leaned back, looking out at the empty battlefield where Rina was running around with Lucario and Typhlosion, who I had released quickly when she got bored on her own.
"Yeah, I heard. He gave me one." I grinned and pulled the slim red device out of my pocket, handing it over to Brendan to take a look. "Here, take a look."
"Sweet, mine's on its way to Professor Birch. He wants me to take a starter and travel a bit for research, so dad might finally get his wish and I can start training." He turned the sleek device over, opening it up and scrolling through its interface and data to see what was going on.
"Cool. You'll only be a few months behind my timeline anyway. And you've got your dad to turn to for help." I grinned.
"Boy is that going to be a battle if I ever challenge him." I could see the almost recoil like expression on his face as he thought about the prospect of challenging his dad's gym.
"Hey, I did it, which means you can take him on too." Brendan looked directly at me and raised an eyebrow. "Eventually." I added, a smile tugging at the edges of his lips.
"How have you been doing otherwise?"
"Ah I've been fine I suppose. I told you I'd started seeing this girl from Mossdeep, Blake. That's been nice." I leaned back, staring at the roof. "It's been a bit difficult because of all the traveling and she's been busy in Mossdeep helping plan a wedding."
"That's rough buddy." Brendan looked over at me.
"It should get better. After this she's coming to Johto for a bit for the Silver Conference, and then we'll start traveling I think."
"That sounds like a plan."
"You tell me, how's it been going here?"
"Ah well I haven't been as lucky as you. Professor Birch's daughter, this girl named May, can get really annoying. It's not all her, it's just that she started training, and she does fieldwork for her dad, and everyone says 'Oh you two would be great together' but she just collects samples for him, she doesn't know any practical analysis or science."
"That bad?"
"She's not all bad." Brendan grumbled. "If people would shut up about her that would work better."
"Talking about May son?" The door at the other end opened and in walked a stouter version of Brendan without the cap and in different clothes.
"Mr. Maple!"
"Dad!" Brendan got up from his chair much more slowly than I did, giving me a moment to greet Norman properly.
"It's good to see you Ethan. Maybe you can give Brendan the battling bug." Norman looked over at his exasperated son. "How's your family doing?"
"They're doing well. Everyone's back in New Bark Town now, and things have settled down. How is Mrs. Maple?"
"Caroline's well. There isn't a lot going on around here these days. We've been to a few of the Ever Grande Conference matches, and we might go to one or two more." Norman replied, crossing his arms and looking out to the battlefield. "Is that your Togepi? The other two I remember from last time."
"Yes, she's mine. I've been raising her for a month." I smiled and looked out at my Pokemon.
"Are you going to think about training her?"
"I think I should be starting soon. I talked to Blue Oak about it, and that was his suggestion, as well as a nurse's recommendation. They told me I should probably go to a trainer school to get her some really beginner level training."
"Tell you what, Brendan, how about you have your first battle right here." Norman turned towards his son, startling the younger Maple.
"What? Now?" Brendan's eyebrows shot up as he looked at his father in horror.
"Yes, now! Your Mudkip is on a level playing field with Ethan's Togepi right now if he's been raising her a month. This will be good for both of you."
"What do you say Brendan?" I turned towards him with a wide grin. "You and me. Like we always said back when were kids."
Brendan's eyes took on a warm shine as he looked at me. He hadn't always had his eyes stuck to a screen. When we were younger, we had both wanted to be trainers, but he had moved away, and eventually delved more and more into data, programs and research, which had done wonders for him, but it wasn't where he started, and now he was reluctant to change his world.
"… All right." He nodded and walked to one end of the battlefield, catching Typhlosion and Lucario's attention. Norman took his place on the sidelines, standing straight as I walked over to my Pokemon.
"Typhlosion, Lucario, Rina, come here." I beckoned for them to join me in the trainers' box, the trio of Pokemon coming over as fast as little Rina could walk. "Today will be Rina's first battle. It's just a little friendly bout with Brendan. Do you want to do it Rina?"
"Priii!" Rina preened and through her hands up in the air excitedly. I grinned and patted her on the head, carefully avoiding her spikes.
"Sounds like you're excited!" Typhlosion lay down by my side, making himself comfortable. "But then I would have hoped a month of watching the rest of the family battle would excite you. Let's just have fun right now. It's your first battle."
"Priii!" She turned around and looked across the field where Brendan was determinedly brandishing a pokeball.
"Zuzu, come on out!" He tossed the pokeball forward and released a small Mudkip, the water type immediately running back to him and headbutting his leg.
'At least their bond is strong'. Lucario's thoughts were accompanied by what was almost a mental snicker as he watched from my other side.
I looked out at Rina and then at Mudkip again. We had figured out the three moves she knew from birth thanks to the Pokedex, and taken a few days on board the ship to slowly coach her in using them, and understanding what she was supposed to do with them.
"Rina, use pound!" Rina shuffled across the field, (not too far given Brendan's Mudkip had run forward again) and smacked the other Pokemon across the face with her hand.
"Zuzu, tackle!" Brendan pointed his finger and the Mudkip darted forward surprisingly quickly, jumping at Rina and knocking her over.
"Rina, hit him off you with pound!" I called out, watching as she struggled for a moment before shoving the water type off her shell with her body and rolling over until she was on her feet again.
"Zuzu, water gun!" The rapid attack sprayed Rina with pressurized water and knocked her back again and onto her shell.
"Rina, use Life Dew!" Despite lying on her shell, Rina managed to sniffle and use the technique. A shimmering layer of dew covered her body and immediately the mark from the last attack faded as she stood up, feeling better thanks to the healing properties of Life Dew.
"Priii!"
"Rina, use extrasensory!" I pointed at Mudkip and Rina focused, trying to guide the psychic attack to hit the water type Pokemon. Her first try missed Mudkip, and it tried to fire a water gun back, going off target as well. "One more time! You can do this!"
With the added encouragement, Rina focused once again and trilled, sending a small psychic attack at Mudkip. This time, the water type was in its path, and the attack knocked it onto its back where it kept lying.
"Mudkip is out! Togepi wins!" Norman announced as Brendan gently woke his Pokemon up for a moment before recalling it and taking it to a healing machine.
"Good job Rina!" I crouched down to give her a high five before recalling her and slotting her pokeball into the same healing machine for a few minutes.
"That was a good first battle Brendan." I extended my hand, waiting for Brendan to take it. He looked at it for a moment before clasping it in and grinning back at me.
"Just you wait. We'll catch up."
"I look forward to it." I pulled Rina's pokeball out of the machine and released her again, letting her play with Typhlosion and Lucario as Brendan released Zuzu the Mudkip, encouraging him to go join the other Pokemon.
"You did well Brendan. For you first battle that was good. You didn't make any bad moves, you didn't hesitate." Norman complimented his son, clapping him on the back.
"Really?" he turned to his father in surprise, looking at the older man's face to try and read it.
"Yes. You were just fighting a much more experienced trainer than you. Even if Togepi is young, Ethan has much more practice and battle knowledge after traveling and training this much. You'll learn with time." Norman explained.
"Yeah, for a beginner trainer, you're not bad." I gave him a lopsided grin as I returned Typhlosion and Lucario, Zuzu and Rina running up to us. I picked her up and held her, watching as Brendan leaned down to scratch Zuzu behind one of the Mudkip's fins.
"Priiii!" I looked down at Rina, and in my surprise glad to say my first instinct wasn't to let go of her.
Carefully, I set her back down on her feet as a white sheen overtook her body, glowing around the edges of her shell where her body fit snugly into it. Zuzu sat down to watch, staying away from the light as the glow slowly engulfed the Togepi it had known, shimmering as its form changed.
Rina's body doubled in size as her shape narrowed. As the light died down, I caught a better look at her evolved form. Her shell seemed to have been absorbed into her body, the off white still bearing the pattern of blue and red triangles in a few places, but she was thinner, and had extremely short legs before her feet now instead of nothing. Her hands were a little bit bigger, and her head was slimmer, with only three spikes atop it, and with a neck that was now visible. But the biggest change had to be the two small wings coming out of her back.
Rina trilled and slowly fluttered into the air, rising to my face level and hugging my neck. I held the Togetic for a moment before letting her go so that she could fly. She hummed as she fluttered around, going back down to Zuzu's height to play with him after a few minutes of poking around.
"I guess she was really happy." I smiled, feeling a warm tug in my chest as Norman looked at Togetic appreciatively.
"Congratulations Ethan. Not one, but two Pokemon who depend on emotions have evolved with you, and I think that says something about you as a person and as a trainer." Norman patted my on the back, looking at the two young Pokemon playing.
"But we already knew that about you didn't we." Brendan chimed in, grinning.
"Thanks guys."
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A few days later…
Ever Grande City was gorgeous. The entire island naturally produced countless flowers, gently swaying in the breeze outside. We were well above sea level, and it you went to the edge of the island you could look over and see the warm Hoennian waters below. The Indigo Plateau was grand and imposing, where Ever Grande City was welcoming. It was still amazing, but it was much more like the city stood with its arms open.
'Maybe it's different from the perspective of a trainer.' I walked along the road, trailing behind Clara. The older girl was similar to her younger sisters in many ways, but much calmer and more composed. Steven had gone ahead to take care of something at the stadium, and Blake had gone ahead to claim our seats in the Champion's box while I helped Clara take care of something for the wedding.
Clara led me to a side entrance of the stadium flanked by security personnel where she merely showed the passes Steven had given us. The two men standing guard dipped their heads and opened the doors, ushering us in as a blue haired woman with a clipboard scribbled something and gestured towards the elevator.
"Right this way Miss Wilson." We stepped into the glass box and Clara started speaking after she had pressed the button.
"The treatment took a while to get used to, but its so convenient now." She smiled lightheartedly, looking at me. "Excited for the final?"
"Yeah, I can't wait to see how its going to go down. The best in Hoenn." I looked out the front door as the elevator reached the box, the doors opening into the room. Sitting right at the front of the box was Blake, holding two seats for us, with Steven.
"By the way, Ethan, I did have something I wanted to say to you." Clara stopped me before we went to the seats, holding me back for a moment.
"Yes?" I looked at her with concern, wondering what was up. We had already solved some of the wedding preparation issues, so I had no clue what was on her mind. My best guess was that it had to do with Steven or her sisters.
"Look, I know you two get along really well, but you are rushing into this a bit." She gestured at her younger sister sitting at the front. "I know you mean well, but be careful, and treat Blake well. I'm her sister. If you hurt her, it's my problem to deal with you. Just be good to her. It's family first for me."
"I understand. Anyone who messed with my sisters would get hell. I don't mean to do anything." I assured Clara, nodding as her serious look turned into a smile and she walked forward, leading me to the front.
I made my way over and slipped into the seat next to her, wrapping an arm around her and sitting back to watch the match. Unlike the finals of the Indigo Conference and the Silver Conference, the Ever Grande Conference finals were held in the early afternoon. I cast a glance at the screen, where neither name was currently displayed. The announcer seemed to be ready to start the match, and sure enough, within a moment, a small array of fireworks were launches into the sky, signaling the start of the formal proceedings.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome, to the Ever Grande Conference finals!" He hollered into the microphone at the top of his lungs. A massive roar followed from the crowd, carrying sound from every corner as the audience cheered.
"In the green corner, from Mauville City, it's the man with a plan, Tyson Tetsuya!" The screen lit up with the image of a calm, composed young man with pale skin and brown hair swept backwards.
The cheering grew even louder as he walked out of the tunnel, wearing a green shirt open over a maroon crew neck. He waved both arms to the crowd, smiling jovially as he took his place in the green corner trainer's box.
"And in the red corner, it's the pride of Lilycove City, Katie Kaede!" The announcer swung his arm to point at the left tunnel from where a thin girl wearing a short sleeved red quarter zip and a long black skirt walked out. Perhaps the most interesting thing about her was her confidence, the projection of strength she had. Or her dark aquamarine hair. Could have been either.
"Citizens, visitors, trainers, dignitaries, children, adults, everyone!" The announcer looked around the stadium while the two trainers took the chance to gauge each other, using the tables provided in the trainers' boxes to put a few odd belongings and water bottles down. I could see the nurses' station on each side getting ready for emergency medical care.
"I'll save the speeches for after the fact. You're here for the Ever Grande Conference Final, so let's get this started!" He spread his arms, mic still in hand as the crowd roared even louder.
"This will be a full six on six battle until one trainer has no Pokemon able to battle. No items may be used mid battle. Trainers may only swap Pokemon when one of their opponents Pokemon has fainted. Both trainers will release their Pokemon at the same time. Be ready for the referee's whistle!"
The entire stadium quietened down as each trainer picked a pokeball from the six they had set down on the table, looking across the field at each other with determination. Silence reigned as only a few Wingull in the sky made any noise, circling high above the arena.
I winced momentarily as a particularly shrill whistle blast marked the start of the battle, both trainers throwing pokeballs out onto the field. Surprisingly, on both sides were Johtan Pokemon. In the green corner there stood a stout Donophan, flexing its trunk as it looked at its opponent, an even more familiar Pokemon. Standing in the red corner with its pincers ready to strike was a Scizor.
The interesting thing about watching a battle live in a massive stadium was that you didn't hear the box mics like you would on a TV broadcast, and the noise from everyone around you almost entirely drowned out the commands. The psychic barriers had an element of external noise dampening so that the trainers and their Pokemon could hear better.
Donophan charged forward, rolling onto its trunk and picking up speed as it tried to steamroll Scizor. The steel type jumped aside, trying to jab Donophan with a glowing pincer but the ground type avoided the strike by swerving. Its physiology allowed it to both see and process what it saw while using rollout quite well.
The rollout attacks continued a few more times, forcing Scizor into tight spots in the corner of the battlefield with boulders scattered around it before Donophan finally changed tactics, slamming its trunk into the ground as Scizor avoided another rollout. Shockwaves spread through the ground, upsetting the steel type and catching it in the crevices of Earthquake.
Donophan slammed its feet and trunk into the ground, supplementing the attack over and over again until it had steamrolled Scizor into defeat, the match off to an overwhelmingly quick start.
"And that's 6-5 to the green corner folks!" The announcer called out. "Tetsuke made excellent use of Earthquake to knock out Scizor!"
"How did he take Scizor out so fast?" Blake asked in disbelief, looking at me for a moment.
"Did you see it Ethan?" I turned my head to see Steven sitting next to Clara, having appeared out of nowhere.
"That Scizor can't jump up much. It hasn't tried to keep any strength in its wings." I replied, looking at Blake's frown. "He tried to corner it repeatedly to see if it would jump up, but it didn't. It even used boulders to escape, but it couldn't jump over Donophan and maintain altitude any longer than you or I could, so he used Earthquake to trap it and beat it down."
"Exactly. Good eye." Steven smiled, turning back to the battlefield.
Katie seemed to be keeping her cool in the red corner, eyes on Donophan as she evaluated her choices. She recalled Scizor, and with a decisive movement tossed her next pokeball out, releasing a fluttering purple form into the air.
"And Kaede has released Venomoth! How will Tetsuke counter this airborne Pokemon!" The announcer shouted excitedly as I watched carefully, trying to keep an eye on what he would do.
Venomoth flapped its wings furiously, spreading a silvery wind throughout the arena. The attack did little to harm Donophan, but from what I could make out, there was a purple tint to it. A purple tint covered Donophan's icon on the scoreboard, indicating what Katie had done.
"She's playing this smart. She poisoned Donophan." I remarked, looking at Venomoth as it simply fluttered in the air and Tyson frowned from the other end of the field.
"Is she just going to stay far away?" Blake frowned, looking at the battle.
"Looks like it."
"That's such a boring battle though." Blake pouted and folded her arms.
"It's a safe bet though." I countered, watching carefully to see how each trainer would react.
"Ethan's right. She has Pokemon that could take Donophan out easily, but she doesn't want to pull them out yet. Most likely something of Tyson's can wipe them out." Steven remarked, watching the battle intently.
The entire time, Venomoth had been using Silver wind attacks and trying to wear Donophan out, but it had struck back. Shards of rock flew into the air, hurling themselves at the poison type as it desperately tried to weave out of the way, a few clipping its body and its wings.
"And Donophan is striking back against the flying Venomoth with Stone Edge! How will this play out?" The announcer's voice drowned out much of the noise as we watched, eyes fixated on the match.
Down in the stadium, Donophan was glaring at its opponent, firing Stone Edge and Gyro Ball repeatedly as it tried to bring Venomoth down with it. From afar, it was becoming evident how much the poison spores that had been whipped into Silver Wind were hurting Donophan. Knowing full well that moving would do it no good, the Pokemon was standing still, but the strain on its legs was visible.
My eyes drifted from the battle to the trainers. Katie had maintained her composure, and it looked like her ruthlessness and calculated method would pay off to take down Donophan where Scizor had fallen so easily. It would put them on level footing. Across the field, Tyson could see that Donophan was about to give out, but his eyes weren't fixed on his own Pokemon, they were fixed on Venomoth. Slowly, he raised a finger, pointing it at the poison type fluttering about in the air.
Donophan trumpeted and waved its trunk, another stone edge flying as Venomoth stayed perfectly still, all the rocks in a trajectory to sail around it. Donophan raised its trunk one more time, moving it out of the way of its mouth, and a shining white beam of light cut through the air, slamming into Venomoth. The poison type had nowhere to move, the slower moving stone edge attack would have hit it dead on if it tried to escape to the sides, and Hyper Beam came sailing down the middle. Before anything else happened, Tyson recalled his Pokemon and held both his hands in a T.
"Well ladies and gentlemen, Tyson Tetsuke has requested a time out as he hands his Donophan over to our nurses. That is his first Pokemon out. Our challenger in the green corner made clever use of the Hyper Beam attack to deal some serious damage to Venomoth! It's now five all!"
I watched attentively as Katie left Venomoth out, Tyson looking at it for a few moments before settling on his next choice. He released an incredibly familiar Pokemon, one which's massive body and four legs looked as though they had been carved from a deep blue mineral stone. The Metagross took its place on the battlefield, spotting Venomoth easily and locking in on its target.
All of a sudden, a psychic attack slammed into Venomoth, throwing it all the way back into the barriers. Metagross accelerated faster than I could have imagined, spinning like a disk as it approached and slammed a glowing leg into Venomoth.
"And Venomoth is unable to battle! Donophan set it up for defeat, and Metagross capitalized on it! It's 5-4 to the green corner! Who will Kaede choose next?"
"Interesting." Clara made her first remark of the battle, simply choosing to watch quietly otherwise.
"And it's Mismagius!" I turned my head back to the field to see the ghost type take its place on the field, its cloak fluttering slightly in the wind. "How will the green corner overcome a type disadvantage, and how will the red corner overcome a strength disparity?"
Tyson simply pointed a finger again, and Metagross leaped into action, firing a blast of toxic sludge at the levitating ghost type. The attack hit Mismagius dead on, an expense it was willing to take in order to fire off three shadow balls at Metagross, of which two hit and one went astray.
The battle devolved into a fast-paced Flurry of attacks, Mismagius releasing every kind of dark and ghost type attack in the book (Night Shade being a particular favorite of its) and Metagross retaliating with Shadow Ball, Sludge Bomb and Flash Cannon.
Mismagius disappeared for a moment and the entire field darkened, a little bit of the summer light dimming as Metagross readied itself. The darkness condensed inwards, all flowing to Metagross in a miasma of violet and black energy as Mismagius attacked. Through the hazy cloud of spectral energy, I could make out a slight silver sheen, and before I could process what happened, Mismagius went flying to the barriers as everything exploded outwards. When the dust settled, Metagross lay on the ground, eyes closed, as did Mismagius.
"A double knockout! What a battle folks! It's 4-3 to the green corner!"
"He's backing her into a corner slowly." Steven remarked, watching the battle with interest. With a jolt, it occurred to me that these two trainers probably were of interest to the Ever Grande League and the corps as well.
"I still think Katie's going to win. That's where my bet is." Blake folded her arms and looked at the match.
"If I had to put money on it, I'd be going for Tyson." I disagreed quietly, looking over at Steven. "You mentioned her Pokemon, ones that could take out Donophan but that he could take out just as easily, I'm guessing those are the ones left."
"I'd back that guess up. At this stage in a conference there are typically few changes to teams." He nodded along, leaving me to watch as both trainers picked up a pokeball each from their remaining set.
Katie released yet another foreign Pokemon (at least to the locals) and I frowned, wondering if her team was made up entirely of foreign Pokemon in order to throw off Hoennian competitors. A Golduck took the field, settling its ruby red eyes on its opponent and quacking with a glare.
Across the battleground, ready to strike, stood a Sceptile, the final evolution of Hoenn's grass type starter Pokemon, Treecko. This was exactly what Steven had meant. Katie was at a bad disadvantage for her choice of Pokemon.
Golduck made the first move, blasting an ice beam across the field, but Sceptile merely jumped out of the way, moving incredibly quickly as its strong legs pushed its body to one side. In retaliation, it swung an arm, sending a twister of leaves at the water type. Unable to move in time, the Leaf Storm slammed into Golduck and hurled into a boulder with a loud crack, the rock bearing fracture marks as the water type quacked furiously and got to its feet.
A freezing cold blizzard blasted back across the field, forcing Sceptile to take cover behind a boulder and shield its head from the oncoming shards of ice using its arms. As the storm subsided, it leaped forward and slashed into Golduck's hide with glowing Leaf Blades, forcing the water type to its knees.
Golduck snapped at Sceptile, grabbing a hold of one arm with its beak, and within seconds Sceptile's veins were beginning to glow purple as Toxic took hold of its body. Tyson grimaced and snapped his fingers, watching Sceptile release another two leaf blades, one with each arm, which duly knocked the water type into the barriers and out of consciousness.
"That's 4-2 to the green corner, but Toxic is coming into play!" the announcer called out, watching excitedly as Katie picked her next pokeball decidedly, tossing out the blue and white contraption. This Pokemon I had only seen in a recording before. A massive, blue Pokemon with white foam like fur around its mouth and huge ivory tusks flopped onto the field, wailing its presence to the world.
"And Katie Kaede has chosen Walrein as her next Pokemon!"
The girl in the red corner had a knowing smirk as she stared at Tyson, such an expression never good for an opponent. Tyson snapped his fingers again and Sceptile unleashed a Leaf Storm. To my surprise, Walrein simply bore the attack, allowing its thick fat to take the brunt of the damage as it slowly opened its mouth. The attack which followed put Blizzard to shame as it encompassed the entire field in ice, freezing over Sceptile and forcing it to the ground into collapse.
"Oh my! Kaede has used Sheer Cold! In most circumstances, the Sheer Cold attack is capable of taking out Pokemon with a single hit!" He called out in shock as Tyson quickly raised his arms in a T again and handed the poisoned grass type's pokeball to the nurse by the sidelines. "It is 3-2 to the green corner, and it looks like Kaede is really fighting back! This could go down to the wire folks!"
Turning back to the battle once he had been assured his Sceptile would be fine, he picked up another pokeball and tossed it out. A massive humanoid Pokemon with a narrow head, wide waist, and big orange hands as broad as my back took to the field, watching its opponent carefully. Pulling my Pokedex out, I quickly tried to scan it from afar and glean what information I could about it. To my frustration, I was too far away from the green corner to get a good view of it.
"Tetsuke reacts with Hariyama!" He called out, indicating the Pokémon's name. Taking the initiative, I hurriedly type it into the Pokedex and pulled up the entry. Hariyama was a fighting type Pokemon native to Hoenn, and from what it could see, its slow speed and massive bulk were more than made up for with its incredible stamina, balance and attack.
Tyson called out some command I couldn't here, and Hariyama spun around on one foot rapidly, the yellow skirt like flaps around its waist flying up as it came to a stop and thrust one palm out, generating a gale in the direction of Walrein. The attack hurled the ice type Pokemon backwards (an impressive feat given its weight) and into its pokeball.
"Oh my, Whirlwind is forcing Kaede's hand and revealing her last Pokemon! Just what is Tetsuke planning!"
Katie gritted her teeth at the other end of the field and tossed out her last pokeball releasing yet another foreign Pokemon, confirming that the only Hoennian Pokemon on her team was in fact Walrein as a Dugtrio took to the battleground.
"What game is Tetsuke playing here? He's tossed away a type advantage!" the announcer called out, watching the match excitedly.
"He's got something up his sleeve." I preempted Blake's remark, watching carefully as Katie instructed Dugtrio.
Dugtrio dove into the ground, disappearing as it burrowed and Tyson grinned almost predatorily. I cast a glance over at Steven who nodded with a wry smile, appreciating the tactic.
"What else does your Pokedex tell you about Hariyama Ethan?" Steven asked, eyes still on the battlefield. I pulled up the entry again and opened it, looking quickly to make sure I didn't miss the match.
"It's excellent hearing and large feet help it detect vibrations in the air and underground…!"
"Exactly." Steven gestured towards the field, redirecting my attention as Hariyama slowly dragged a foot over the dirt, before slamming both palms into the ground, not just once, but settling into a rhythm like it was pounding out a fast-paced beat on a pair of bongos.
The entire stadium felt the tremor as all of a sudden Dugtrio's image on the screen blacked out and Katie looked in horror, returning her fallen Pokemon.
"Oh wow folks! Tyson managed to defeat Dugtrio while it was still underground! I haven't seen a battle like this in ages! It's 3-1 to the green corner, with only Walrein left standing in the red corner.
Katie released the ice type again, barking a command as Hariyama ran forward. From what I could tell, it was trying to use Sheer Cold again, but the attack seemed to fail as Hariyama closed in and slammed Walrein back with its massive palms, unrelentingly attacking it.
Walrein rammed back into Hariyama with all is strength, forcing the fighting type back a few dozen feet as the two titanic Pokemon duked it out on the field, dust, ice and boulder shards flying everywhere as the chaotic battle ensued.
Hariyama grabbed a hold of Walrein (how it used those overly flat hands to do so I had no idea) and hurled it into a boulder just as it expelled a Blizzard, the combination of snow and shattered rocks and dust in the air obscuring the battleground.
I leaned forward, almost certain of what would happen, and as the dust settled down, my patience was rewarded. The only Pokemon left standing was Hariyama, watching over Walrein to make sure it didn't get up again.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" The announcer yelled as both parties recalled their Pokemon, waving to the crowds. At least Katie took her defeat well. The roaring around me was deafening as all of Hoenn cheered for the latest victor of the Ever Grande Conference, throwing in a healthy round of applause for Katie too.
"Your Ever Grande Conference Champion for the year 2016, is Tyson Tetsuke!"
My mind drifted as I watched Tyson standing in the middle of the battleground, acknowledging all of the crowd as the nurse healed his team and he released them one by one to stand with him and be recognized as their victors.
I would be down there soon. We would do this. We would fight until our very last breath to win the Silver Conference. Under my breath, I murmured to myself, imagining myself and my team standing there, in the Indigo Stadium.
"We will win."
|\/|~^-_-_-^-_-_-^~|\/|
The aisle was cobbled stone, leading down to the low built entrance of the Ever Grande League. The teak wood walls, paper screen windows and tiered, sloping orange roofs stood in sharp contrast to the bright green grass and flowers all around decorating the area. Steven stood in the Verandah, just up three steps, waiting with his hands clasped behind his back in a brilliant white suit with a cerulean waistcoat and a brilliant azure tie. His grey eyes looked out over the guests, catching a glimpse of me and smiling slightly. To his left stood Wallace, the man having set aside his cap and cloak for the day, dressed similarly to Steven, but with a little less flair. To the other side of the verandah, split by the man in white and violet robes, stood Blake, dressed in a simple pink dress with her hair done up.
My eyes stopped on her and after a moment she noticed, smiling lightly as she met my eyes, before gesturing slightly with her head towards the aisle. Right on time, the band picked up the music and I rose with the rest of the guests, turning to look as an older man with greying hair who I had recently learned was the girls' father. Dressed in black, he had one arm intertwined with that of his eldest daughter. Clara was dressed in white, in fantastic dress that had no doubt taken the designer countless hours to make. She walked slowly, trailing a little girl who was throwing rose petals down the aisle until she approached the end of the aisle, slowly letting go of her father and walking up the steps to the Verandah.
Blake gave her a quick hug on the verandah, taking her place next to her as Victoria walked down the aisle, carrying a cushion with two rings on it, bringing them up to the verandah and lining up next to her sisters.
"Friends and family, today is about two of our dearest, Steven Stone and Clara Wilson." The man in the middle began speaking, and I tuned out slightly, my eyes meeting Blake's as a small smile fixed itself upon my face.
Sparkling green eyes met mine, emotions dancing in her irises. The sunlight shone brightly on her face, just dimmed enough by the verandah to cast the perfect light as I tuned back in to the speech the man was giving.
"We are here for these two today, and so it should be." I refrained from raising an eyebrow as from either side, the others departed the Verandah, Wallace slipping into a seat somewhere else as did Victoria.
My eyes followed Blake for a moment as she came around the side and slipped into the seat she had put her purse down on next to me, looking back to the stage.
"In the eyes of Hoenn, make your vows and be joined in marriage today." The man stepped back as Clara and Steven each took a step forward, looking at each other.
"I promise that I will always be by your side, in sickness and in health, for every challenge, for every good day. Whatever may come, we will be there together." Clara spoke softly, yet still clear enough for us to hear. With a graceful movement, she accepted one of the rings and slipped it onto Steven's finger, holding his hands.
I felt the warm touch of skin on my hand and I looked down briefly, noticing Blake's hand in mine. Not bothering to resist the tug in my chest, I interlaced my fingers with hers and held on, looking back up to Steven.
"An eternity with you is not enough. I promise you that I will always be by your side, in sickness and in health, for every challenge, for every good day." The only sound audible were the waves gently lapping against the shore beneath the island.
"Everything I am is yours, and everything I will be is with you, forever and a day." Steven gently took the other place and slipped it onto Clara's finger as I looked over at Blake for a moment, looking as she wiped away the tears in her eyes quickly.
"The Stone Family." The man in robes extended his arms and bowed his head as everyone rose, a quiet round of applause spreading throughout the island.
Along with everyone else, I filed into the main hall of the league building with Blake, still holding her hand. The massive hall had been transformed into a ballroom, with flowers and decorations everywhere, the lighting carefully done. Tables with violet tablecloths were spread out around the room, centerpieces of white lilies decorating them.
The middle of the room had been left empty for dancing and mingling the entire time. An open bar stood to one side of the room, and near it towered an elegantly decorated, tiered wedding cake.
Blake led me by the hand to a table near the front, where she sat me down. The other people sitting there were an interesting mix. Steven and Clara sat at one end of the table, Wallace nearby, and not quite to my surprise, Lance as well. Two of Clara's friends sat with her, and across the table from me sat another figure who I really shouldn't have been surprised to have seen, yet I was.
I had only seen the champion of Sinnoh in the occasional battle on TV, but her presence was even more commanding in person as it was in TV. Cynthia's long blonde hair fell down her back, some of it falling over the sides of her face.
"Ethan, good to see you." Wallace stood up and greeted me warmly. Trying to avoid tripping, I reciprocated, meeting Lance the same way. The red-haired man seemed to be less stressed than the last time I had seen him. His brow wasn't furrowed, and he looked as though he had slept properly, the rest doing him well.
"Wallace, Lance." I met each with a smile, sitting back down as Cynthia raised an eyebrow, looking over at me.
"Cynthia my dear, you must meet Ethan. He's a spectacular trainer, and a wonderful young man." Wallace gestured at me with a flourish, Cynthia to extend a hand.
"Cynthia Carolina. It's nice to meet you Ethan."
I shook her hand, meeting her sharp, grey eyes before I replied.
"Ethan Photon. It's my pleasure." I bowed my head slightly for a moment, turning as Lance spoke up.
"How has your training for the Silver Conference been going Ethan?" He raised an eyebrow as Cynthia engaged Steven and Clara, speaking to the duo.
"It's been going well. Training on board Drake's ship has been a new challenge, but we've been trying to make it work." I replied smoothly, avoiding details about how exactly I'd been training.
I looked around the room for a moment, taking in everything. Victoria seemed to be sitting with her friends at a separate table, and the parents of both the bride and the groom were at another table. In another spot, I could see two tables splitting the Hoenn Gym Leaders, including Norman Maple, and the Elite Four, which included Drake himself.
"I look forward to seeing how you do there Ethan. As stressful as organizing the conferences can be, its always fun by the end, seeing the talent that gets through." Lance turned his head as all eyes went to the newlyweds taking the floor for the first dance as the band began a slow ballad.
"Good luck with the Silver Conference Ethan. I expect a strong group of trainers to make it to the top. There's a lot of talent this year from the looks of it." Cynthia remarked, smiling lightly.
"Cynthia, may I have this dance." Wallace had stood up and walked around Lance to the woman, extending a hand and bowing slightly.
"Of course." She rose gracefully, taking his hand and following him to the dance floor as Lance followed suit with one of Clara's friends, leaving me with Blake. I turned to her, hoping I hadn't made her wait too long before asking.
"Blake, would you care to dance." I extended a hand, palm open as she looked at me with a smile.
"I would love to." She took it and I stood, moving her chair so that she could get up in her heels comfortably.
Slowly, we moved over to the dance floor, slipping into the middle of the couples dancing and slowly joining in to the song. Time passed and the room faded into the background as we danced for a few songs before sitting back down at the table, both of us a little bit unsteady after spending so long on the dance floor.
"Steven, Clara, let me take the chance to say congratulations, and best wishes. I know you two will be happy together, that much the whole world knows." I extended hand to Steven. "I know I have to leave tomorrow, but nothing but the best for you two. You've been such a big part of my life lately, and I'm glad I met you."
Steven yanked my chair over and pulled me into a one-armed hug as Clara smiled, looking at me kindly.
"I wouldn't have it any other way Ethan. We'll be there at the Silver Conference to watch."
"And I'll be there too." Blake caught my attention as I adjusted my chair, putting it back in its original place. "Right there at the stadium for your matches, cheering you on."
"I'm happy about it. I can't wait for you to meet my mother and my sisters. I've already met yours. You'll love Lucy and Lily."
"I'll see you there."
|\/|~^-_-_-^-_-_-^~|\/|
One month later…
I knocked on the door of Drake's office, waiting for him to say anything before I stepped in. It occurred to me that this would likely be the last time I would be standing in front of these familiar doors, at least for a while. A gruff voice came from the other side of the doors, leaving me to open them and step inside, closing it behind me. The open curtains on either side allowed me to see Kanto's seas through the portholes. The bookshelves and seating area were just as id remembered it, and the Pokemon bed was occupied by Drake's Salamence, the great beast sleeping with one eye open.
I looked up to the map of the oceans behind him. The world map had temporarily been covered by a roll down map of Indigo's oceans, markers and threads running across it in various spots. I could make out one over the Seafoam Islands, and one near the Cliffs on Route 47. Another decorated a spot in the southern Kanto seas.
"Good morning Admiral, sir."
"Sit down Photon." I pulled down a chair at his desk and sat down. He had been standing and facing the map, but once I sat down, he turned around and settled into his own desk chair.
"You've done well on this ship Photon. As well as I could have expected you to." He began, speaking briefly as I sat silently. "The crew likes you, and you've been a welcome addition to our force. You've learned what we tried to teach you, and you've gained some discipline."
"Thank you, sir." I bowed my head, looking at him appreciatively. He stopped to think for a moment and laced his fingers together, elbows on his desk.
"If you decide to leave Indigo and want a place in the navy, you can come back." He finally spoke, looking me dead in the eye.
"Sir, I don't know what to say." I tried to avoid stammering, uncertain of how to react.
"Then don't. Just know it in case you make that decision sometime. I don't expect you to anyway." Drake responded, looking at me. "You did well in Mount Silver. Most people would have buckled under the pressure."
"Thank you, sir."
"With the way you attract trouble I'm sure you'll find something again, whether its Team Rocket, or whether its another Legendary. Just keep the right people posted. Take your armored gear and your entire kit with you. That way if you dive into another criminal scheme to take it down you won't get injured as easily."
"Yes sir." I dipped my head slightly.
"And if you do that, at least use some of the strategic thinking and discipline we've tried to drill into your head."
"Understood." Chagrined, I looked up again, examining his expression before asking my question.
"Will you be attending the Silver Conference, sir?" I waited as Drake raised an eyebrow, looking at me with interest.
"If you make it to the semifinals I might show up." He conceded, standing up again. "Show me why I should bother and I'll consider it."
"Understood." I nodded and stood up as well, pushing my chair back into place.
"You are officially discharged from duty starting now Photon. Get your kit ready. We land in Vermilion in an hour or so."
"Thank you, sir." I saluted and walked out of the door, closing it behind me and heading to my quadruple. Inside, I quickly changed into my own clothes, stowing away my uniform and organizing my kit into a bag to take with me.
Straightening everything out, I made my way to the deck, meeting everyone who I ran into along the way. Henderson was standing near the prow, watching the city come closer.
"It's been a good run Henderson. I'm glad I met all of you." I extended a hand, wincing slightly at fake Surge's bone crushing grip.
"Kick ass out there Photon. Show the world what you're made off. If you go to the Silver Conference and get knocked out early, we're never going to live it down." He grinned, looking out to the city ahead.
"Don't worry. I don't plan on getting knocked out." I grinned, eye on Vermilion City.
"That's the spirit kid." He roared with laughter as we pulled into the port, the rest of the crew anchoring the H.S. Katherine and powering down the engines.
I helped Jackson and Johnson lower the gangplank, and with one last salute to the crew, stepped off and into Vermilion City, making for the Pokemon Center.
Once I was inside, I organize my things in my PC and sorted out my team, before checking my phone and sending messages to my mom and to Blake. Noticing a small icon in the top, I pulled it open and checked it. A missed call. Dialing back, I put the phone to my ear and waited.
"Hello? Ethan?"
"Archer, hi! Sorry I missed your call, I just got into port in Vermilion."
"Oh! Don't worry about it. Melissa had mentioned you were returning to Johto today so I thought I'd reach out and check in on you."
"Thanks Archer, how are things in Goldenrod?" I sat down on the arm of a sofa, talking to my cousin Archer. To be fair, he was technically my mother's cousin, but was between the two of us in age, so it had always been fairly casual.
"Oh, things are well, just a few meetings. Listen, if you're coming back to Johto from Kanto, why don't you go through Saffron and take the Mag-Lev train? We finished repairs a week ago, and we're opening to the public in a few days. We can catch up in Goldenrod and have that dinner and that battle we never finished."
"That sounds great! How do I get on the train though?"
"I'll give them your name and they'll run you here. The trains are running back and forth empty anyway to keep the system moving until we get started. It's around ten right now, and if I recall correctly, Saffron is an hour or two's walk from Vermilion, then the train takes a few hours to get to Goldenrod. You should probably make it here by five. I've got a business meeting at four thirty with the people who run the radio tower, and it'll definitely take a few hours, but I can meet you at seven thirty for dinner? Same place?"
"Sounds good Archer, I'll see you later." I put my phone away after sending my mom a quick text with another update on my plans to stick around Goldenrod for the night and fly home in the morning.
Getting my things together, I quickly set out, making for my first stop along the way. The Vermilion City gym. I walked to the west edge of town and hopped the fence like I had the last time, walking around the building to enter it.
This time, the electric gates were already deactivated, and I could see the battlefield through it. I walked to the other side of the room, stopping by the bar to see where Surge was battling a short, blonde kid with a Raichu. The older man had a Jolteon on the field, and it was running circles around the kid's Raichu.
"Quick Attack!" Jolteon jumped in and slammed into Raichu, sending the other electric type tumbling into the ground. The kid on the other side of the field groaned and returned his Raichu.
"Not again."
"You're getting better Ritchie. You are making progress. Don't worry, and just keep working on it. You're welcome to stick around here." Surge clapped the kid on the back before turning to me. "Rocket-Electabuzz kid! What can I do ya for?" He spread his arms wide and grinned.
"Hey Surge. My name's Ethan by the way." I waved in response, chuckling.
"Rocket-Electabuzz kid sounds better. You should really consider a name change." He lowered his sunglasses seriously.
"I'll think about it. I wanted to come back here and see how you think Electabuzz is doing." I pulled his pokeball out and released him, letting the electric type roam the field and take in the fresh air.
Surge looked at him and examined him, taking in the details of his body as he walked around and nodded.
"Not bad, not bad. You been power cycling him?" Surge gently lifted one of Electabuzz's arms to look at the fur along his side as he questioned me.
"Generator rooms and engine rooms." I replied. "Just like you said."
"At this stage, it's probably better if Reno examines him." Surge reached for his belt and tossed up a pokeball. The brilliant white light coalesced on the ground into a Pokemon almost twice Electabuzz's height and much closer to my own.
The Electivire's body was fitter, and its legs and arms were much stronger. Its head was broader as well, spreading out the antennae atop it. The most impressive feature though had to have been its two tails, roaming in the air. Each one looked like a black power cable, with the ends open and live, red terminals visible.
"Reno, take a look at this Electabuzz and tell me what you think. We're wondering how his progress is coming along and whether you think he should evolve soon." Surge gestured towards Electabuzz, leaving the Electivire to examine its pre-mature form for a bit, probing it with its tail wires and chattering with it.
After a few minutes which I spent at the bar, watching a game of soccer on TV with surge, Electivire came over with Electabuzz and shook its head. I let out a small sigh as Electivire turned a tail to the ground and began writing in the dirt very roughly.
"Soon, but not right now." I read out, looking back up at Electivire and recalling Electabuzz. "Okay, thank you Reno, Surge." I nodded and headed out of the gym as Surge sat down on the countertop, waving as he watched the game.
Heading out, I quickly called out Knight, deciding to take to the air for a bit instead of walking.
"Hey buddy, let's take this easy." I climbed into his saddle and scratched his back, gently taking off with him as we made our way north to Saffron City.
Saffron was easily the biggest city in Indigo. Goldenrod was quite modern, and Olivine was large, but neither was the combination of the two which made Saffron the industrial and economic titan it was today. Soon enough, Knight had us landing by the Mag-Lev station, where the tracks went west over the forests. I recalled him and walked into the building, buying a sandwich from the small café in the lobby and going up to the ticket counter.
"Hi, my name's Ethan Photon. Archer Toluene told me I should come here." I took out my ID and handed it to the woman behind the ticket counter.
"Right this way sir, we'll have you on a train to Goldenrod in fifteen minutes." She activated the electronic gates and handed me my card back as I passed through. Stepping out of the ticket booth where she had been sitting, she led me to an elevator, pressing the top button on it.
The machine was almost entirely silent, quickly taking us up to the train platform a few levels up. Stepping out into the fresh air, I looked around. the tracks ran over the top of the forest, cutting into as little of it as possible for support beams and giving an amazing view from above of the expanse of the Kanto wilderness.
"That's the train coming along right now, it's just going to have some cargo unloaded at the back, and then you can get on. Please enjoy the view with our specially installed all glass walls.
She gestured to the incoming train car, and I watched it slide into the station. It was a sleek thing, tapering to a nose on both ends with glass in between much of its white frame. I could see the seats inside, and they looked comfortable enough. Once it came back around, I stepped inside and sat down. Smiling, the woman waved and let the doors close, heading back to the elevator as the train began moving, picking up speed smoothly and accelerating across Kanto.
The view outside was amazing. I spent the next few hours with my Pokemon, having my sandwich and appreciating the view. Typhlosion was sitting in the train car with me, watching it go by, as was Scizor.
"We're almost there guys. We check in for the Silver Conference in two days. I'm so excited." I grinned and looked at them, standing up and stretching.
Typhlosion barked excitedly, looking out the window as the Indigo Plateau zipped by, eyes jumping between us and the view. Scizor was silent, as he constantly was, but his posture betrayed his excitement. This was how we had started together. The three of us, wanting to become the best that we could be.
"Look, we're almost at Goldenrod City." I gesture out the window to the west as the city started to come into view, glancing at my watch. It was around four thirty, which meant Archer would just have gone into his meeting.
Another half hour later, we pulled into the train station and disembarked from the Mag-Lev train. I let Typhlosion and Scizor stay out with me as I climbed down the stairs to the ground floor and walked out the door, casting a glance at the mostly empty room and nodding to the one receptionist who was sitting there. She seemed a little surprised to see me, but not overly so, leading me to not bother with anything.
I stepped out into the city, enjoying the late afternoon sun. Summer was much warmer than the winter or the spring it had been when I left Johto. Hoisting my backpack on my shoulder, I started walking when a commotion to my left caught my attention.
The building directly to my right had the doors slammed shut as a man wearing a jester's outfit was tossed out the door onto his back. I hurried over, helping him up.
"Are you alright?"
"They hijacked the radio tower!" He pointed at the door. "I was just getting ready to run a poke gear giveaway and those thugs swarmed in and hijacked the radio tower."
I turned to look through the glazed glass doors, barely seeing though them. A man showed up at the front of the door and shoved a heavy wooden beam through the handles, barring it shut. With his proximity, I could just about make out what he looked like.
His entire appearance was quite non-descript. Short brown hair, dark cap and trousers, an unremarkable face and pale skin. I froze for a moment as the man dressed like a jester brushed himself off, standing up. There was one thing that wasn't unremarkable about the man's attire, just like every other person who had swarmed the lobby to hold the Radio Tower Hostage. A big, red, R logo splattered across the front.
"Team Rocket." I whispered to myself, Typhlosion's hackles immediately raised as he growled menacingly. Then it hit me, and I glanced up to the top floor where the director's office would be. "Archer's in there! He had a meeting! He's in danger!"
Now that the fallen man was up and on his feet, I ran to the Pokemon center, quickly grabbing my armored gear and a few things like rope and other useful items from my PC, stowing away my ordinary pack and changing Pokemon quickly. I hurriedly dialed Lance's line, hoping and praying he picked up. The call died out in a few minutes, and I cursed, pressing the number again, trying one more time.
"Hello, Ethan?"
"Lance, Team Rocket is in the Goldenrod Radio Tower. They've taken it hostage."
"What!?"
"Yes! I've got my armored kit and gear from Drake's ship. I'm going in."
"Ethan! No, stay put! League forces are on their way."
"Lance, I've been training for invasions and takeovers with Drake's crew. I've got family in there right now. I need to." I pleaded with him over the phone, waiting just a moment as he went silent.
"All right Ethan. Be careful. Take no chances. Knock out any enemies."
"I won't let you down." I shut my phone and slipped it in my pocket, running out of the building in my kit with Typhlosion and Scizor by my side. "We're going in guys. Family first."